Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-27
SUNDAY. NOVEMBER q, 1887.
That Compronise

When We wrote our leader Of yester-
day we had not seen the telegram which
Colonel McCLUBE had sent to his paper
touching the same subject. We look
upon that telegram as promising good
things. 1t foreshadovs IN the matter OF
reducing taxes and abolishing the sur
plus in the Treasury compromise that
ought 10 be acceptable TO all good Demo
crats-all Democrats, in a word, who
hold that the tariff question is not so i'm
portsnt as good government in the seve-
ralStates of the South. Better preserve
our civilization fhan put down protec-
ton.
We would add to the reasons we men
toned yesterday an additional one why
the CARLISLE Democrats should consent
to a compromise with the RANDALL
Democrats. If we concede that mp to
the time of the breaking out of the war
between the States the Democratic par
ty was an anti Protection party, we must
also concede that the Wing party was a
Protectionist party. The Wings of Ken
lucky, Virginia, Georgia, Tonnes
see, and indeed all the south
ern States, were advocates of the
protection of American industries. In
Virginia in 1860 the votes for President
of the United States we've almost exactly
equally divided as between BRECKIN-
RIDGE and BELL. DoUGLAs got only
1920 votes in the whole State, and
these included many DOUGLAS Wings,
no doubt. Now, all these old Wings
believed as firmly as does Mr.. RANDALL
in the doctrine Of protection. BEFORE
the war this city was almost always car
ried by the Wings. SO Campbell, Lou
doun, Bedford, Augusta, and others of the
wealthiest and most intelligent couDtiesin
the Commonwealth were countedamongst |
the counties reliably Wing aud therefore |
reliably Protectionist. The farmers in |
those counties believed firmly that TO
protect American industries was to create /
a home market, and they voted accord
ingly. We know no good reason for /
supposing that the farmers of Virginia |
have changed their opinions on this sub /
ject, or would vote differently from what |
their fathers always voted if the same
question were submitted to them under
the same circumstances. When the
members of the Virginia Legislature
were interviewed few years ago by one
Of our reporters he found that they were
as well divided in their tariff views as
ever their fathers had been.
1t is no answer to all this to say that |
the present tariff is a great deal higher |
than any ante bellum tariff was. If pro-
lection is wrong it does not become right !
by being reduced to a lower point or
even to minimum. If protection is
wrong, it is wrong. II it is right it is
best for farmers as well as all other
classes. But to read what Mr.. WAITER
son has to say on this point would lead
one to suppose that in few years from
this time the farmers, inferring from his
teachings that the cities arc arrayed
against the country, would elect no man
to be Governor, or to fill any other State
Office. whose calling requires him to live
in city.
The present Democratic party OF Vir-
ginia is the successor OF the Conserva-
tive Democratic party of 1869 and there
abouts. "Why not call the party the
Democratic party? ?" asked the late r. T.
DANIEL. liam Democrat" he added,
meaning that the circumstances fully au-
thorized every old Wing to call himself
Democrat. But what did he refer to ?
He had in mind the perils threatening
his beloved State-the menacing atti
tude of the negroes and the carpet-bag-
gers and the scalawags. He, one of the
most accomplished gentlemen and able
lawyers that ever reflected honor upon
this city, and who had on many stump
advocated tariff for protection, had
lost sight OF all minor issues and was
thinking only of saving his State.
Shall We now claim that all these old
Wings and their children by acting with
Us hitherto have thereby pledged them
selves TO adopt the ante-bellum creed of
the Democratic party? Not so. Let us
compromise with them.